Molecular Detection of Dermatophytes Associated with Dermatitis in Dogs of Puducherry, India

Dermatophytosis (ringworm) is a disease of global significance caused by pathogenic fungi called dermatophytes in animals and humans. Dermatophytes are a group of septate fungi that, invade superficial keratinized structures such as skin, hair, and claws. The most common infection in dogs and cats is caused by the genera Microsporum (M.), or Trichophyton (T.). Nowadays the dermatophytes of pet dogs and cats could be a potential source of zoonotic infections causing a serious public health problem. The dermatophytosis is generally chronic, and its control requires proper identification of aetiological agents and its prevalence to prescribe specific treatment. The current study was conducted to identify the causative agent of skin disease from dogs in Puducherry (India). The suspected hair samples collected from dogs having skin infections were examined under a microscope revealing the presence of arthrospores. Traditional diagnostics of ringworms are based on the morphological identification of cultured fungi and are time-consuming. Identification of fungi in dermatological samples using PCR is reliable and provides better results in comparison with cultures. The ITS regions were amplified by PCR. This study is useful to identify the most common pathogenic dermatophytes affecting dogs.